Your Source for 'Ff'lo

Trees are infrastructure. They are practically buildings. They are bigger'n you are. They are important and grown up. They'll outlive you if you do it right. You need a tree that'll take care of itself when you're dead.

We had a birch tree in our yard when I was a kid. Portage, Michigan, south of Kalamazoo--no farther north than here. It was a cool tree, thought peeling the papery bark was a big temptation for a little boy.

I'm not sure about soil--it was sandier in the western part of the state, and awfully clayey in these parts. Call the master gardener hotline for Washtenaw county and ask 'em.

Assuming there's not soily reason against it, by all means, plant it. Good for the soul, good for the city, good for the world, warm fuzzies all over.

Time's a-wastin'. I don't know what the right time of year is, but if it's now, it won't be in a few months.